The Italian Community Center (ICC) was established to serve Italian Americans and to serve the community at large. It carries on human relations activities on a charitable basis for the purpose of demonstrating to the community the positive force of Milwaukee’s Italian American citizens. It plans, promotes and carries out other charitable, educational and cultural activities which best serve the welfare of Americans of Italian extraction and the community at large.
The Italian Community Center fosters a pride in, and an awareness of, Italian culture by sponsoring lectures, classes, conferences and study groups devoted to the contributions which Italians have made to this country and to mankind.
The Italian Community Center organizes and hosts Festa Italiana, the annual celebration of Italian culture, heritage and entertainment, at the Henry Maier Festival Park.
The Italian Community Center (ICC) of Milwaukee is an ethnic organization that was founded in 1978 to celebrate the heritage and culture of Wisconsin’s Italian American community. The most visible example of that is a four-day summer festival known as Festa Italiana that features food, entertainment and cultural exhibits that highlight the Italian experience. The ICC strides to promote ethnic understanding and racial equality and, in its 60,000 square foot facility, has been a catalyst for renewal and rebirth of Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. The ICC is open to all people, regardless of race, creed or religion.
The Italian Community Center is a place where history is taught, memories are shared, and friends gather – the ICC must remain the center of the Italian community, filled with people of all ages spending time together and ensuring the preservation of all things Italian – to make sure this generation and the next appreciate the importance and beauty of speaking Italian, dancing and singing Italian, painting Italian and cooking Italian.
VIP Day For People With Disabilities. Since 1981, the ICC has hosted a special program at Festa Italiana for the handicapped and disabled citizens in our community. Known as VIP Day, the program allows the handicapped and disabled and their caregivers to attend Festa during a time period when the grounds are open exclusively for their enjoyment. Some 10,000 to 15,000 VIPs and their caregivers annually take advantage of this opportunity. Festa provides their guests with reduced prices on food and beverages.
Annual Thanksgiving Dinner For The Less Fortunate. The ICC provides the volunteers, donates food and offers its staff to prepare the feast and deliver it to the meal site. Generally, 400 or more meals are served. This dinner has been going on since the inception of the ICC in 1978.
Student Immersion Day. Presented each October as a Culture Committee project, the program offers elementary or middle school students a hands-on opportunity to be introduced to Italian culture and history in an educational, yet fun way. The long-running program, coordinated and run entirely by volunteers, is part of the ICC’s annual celebration of Italian Heritage & Culture Month and has received high praise from the educational community.
ICC offers many educational and cultural programs for people of all ages and races. These include lectures by authors, historians and other people, folk dance programs, video presentations, and other activities. For many years, the ICC and Festa Italiana participated in the City of Festivals Parade. Over the last several years, the ICC has presented Italian culture at the Holiday Folk Fair at Wisconsin State Fair Park.
Donations. Throughout the years, the ICC and its members have made numerous charitable donations, such as: earthquake and tornado relief for the citizens in L’Aquila, Italy to Barneveld, Wisconsin; bulletproof vests for the Milwaukee Police Department; the Italian Immersion Program at Milwaukee’s Victory School for the Gifted & Talented; food pantries; the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Alzheimer’s Association, Habitat for Humanity, the House of Peace, Ronald McDonald House, the Northcott Neighborhood House, and many others.